I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Duke EllingtonRead
Jazz is a good barometer of freedom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jazz reflects the level of freedom in society and the creativity of its people.
Duke Ellington suggests that jazz music serves as an indicator of how free a society is, as it allows for personal expression, creativity, and innovation. The improvisational nature of jazz mirrors the cultural and social freedoms that exist, highlighting how artistic expression can thrive in liberated environments.
Themes
JazzFreedomExpressionMusicCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a music festival, a speaker might use this quote to highlight the significance of jazz in cultural expression.
More from Duke Ellington
All quotes →Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is no art without intention.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
Duke EllingtonRead
Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
Duke EllingtonRead
Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
Duke EllingtonRead
Similar quotes
If all I do in my life is soothe someone's spirit with a song , then let me do that and I'm happy.
Gladys KnightRead
One thing that sticks in my mind is that jazz means freedom and openness. It's a music that, although it developed out of the African American experience, speaks more about the human experience than the experience of a particular people.
Herbie HancockRead
I look around me and I don’t see any rock’n’roll at the moment. Instead it’s all choreography and stylists and wigs and stuff. It’s like they’re afraid to let the music breathe. No one has their own identity like the Ronettes did back in the day. We had the skirts with the slits up the side, sort of tough, sort of Spanish Harlem cool, but sweet too. We didn’t have no dancers, we didn’t have no goddamn wigs.
Ronnie SpectorRead
Starting a band is the easy part. Once you've formed the band, you have to tell a story, and that story requires songs. And not just good songs, but great songs. After a while, great songs won't do - they have to be the best. Success doesn't make it any easier. Each time I start a new record, it's a brand-new search.
The EdgeRead
Blues was my first love. It was the first thing where I said, 'Oh man, this is the stuff.' It just sounded so raw and honest, gut-bucket honest. From then I started rebelling.
Carlos SantanaRead
The way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CDs, I'll keep playing until I feel like I can't.
B. B. KingRead